WWE recently looked back at some of the most memorable Royal Rumble returns of all time.
And one legendary return stood above the rest.
In a special edition of WWE Top 10, the company crowned John Cena as the greatest Royal Rumble return in history, spotlighting his shocking comeback at the 2008 event inside Madison Square Garden.
Cena’s appearance at No. 30 remains one of the most iconic moments the match has ever produced. Fresh off what many believed would be a lengthy injury absence, Cena’s music hit to an explosive MSG reaction that instantly became part of Royal Rumble lore.
The ovation didn’t last forever.
As the match progressed, the New York crowd famously turned on Cena, showering the now-retired future Hall of Famer with boos, a reminder of how polarizing his run at the top had already become at that point.
Cena ultimately backed up the moment with a win, last eliminating Triple H to punch his ticket to WrestleMania XXIV.
Lightning in a bottle.
And WWE knew it.
The list itself kicked off with Ronda Rousey’s surprise return at No. 25 and featured several legendary names throughout. By the end, Roddy Piper, Alexa Bliss, Edge, Cody Rhodes, and Cena rounded out the Top 5, with Cena’s MSG comeback standing alone at the very top.
The top ten from the list of 25 returns is as follows:
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- #1. John Cena — 2008
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- #2. Cody Rhodes — 2023
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- #3. Edge — 2020
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- #4. Alexa Bliss — 2025
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- #5. Roddy Piper — 2008
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- #6. Naomi — 2024
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- #7. Rob Van Dam — 2009
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- #8. Rey Mysterio — 2018
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- #9. The Undertaker — 2003
- #10. Chris Jericho — 2013
WWE Royal Rumble returns on January 31, 2026, live from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. For everything you need to know about the 2026 WWE Royal Rumble, including some big spoilers, click here.
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